Beginner Questions

[Luke_James]

I've never made soap before and have ordered some stuff to make some melt and pour before I start going into CP, I've just got a couple of questions that I'd like to be answered

Can I use fresh fruit juices (lemon/lime etc) in the soap, or would it go mouldy over time or not set? Could I use a preservative? and if so, what?

If I can't use fresh fruit juice could I use undried zest or does it have to be dried?

How much essential oil should I use per kg of soap base?

Thanks!

 

[houseofwool]

For your first soap, I highly recommend not using any additives. Some scents can accelerate trace to the point that experienced soapers are sweating bullets to get it into the mold.

Fruit juices are a whole new level of tricky because they are typically acidic. That means they will neutralize a portion of they lye. I wouldn't go there until you have a great understanding of soap making from a practical standpoint.

As for ass just like zest, yes they can be added. I would highly suggest that they be dried. And they can be very scratchy, so grind them up finely before adding at trace.

 

[osso]

I would stay away from the citrus and acidic fruit juices, but things like aloe juice and coconut water are nice and an easier sub for water in a recipe. No preservative needed for CP soap, but those items typically have one added already.

 

[Luke_James]

For your first soap, I highly recommend not using any additives. Some scents can accelerate trace to the point that experienced soapers are sweating bullets to get it into the mold.

Fruit juices are a whole new level of tricky because they are typically acidic. That means they will neutralize a portion of they lye. I wouldn't go there until you have a great understanding of soap making from a practical standpoint.

As for ass just like zest, yes they can be added. I would highly suggest that they be dried. And they can be very scratchy, so grind them up finely before adding at trace.

Thank you, what could cause issue if they're not dried aside from discoloration?

I would stay away from the citrus and acidic fruit juices, but things like aloe juice and coconut water are nice and an easier sub for water in a recipe. No preservative needed for CP soap, but those items typically have one added already.

Could fruit juices etc be used in CP without risk of the juice spoiling?

 

[osso]

Could fruit juices etc be used in CP without risk of the juice spoiling?

Spoiling would not be the issue, but acids neutralizing some of the lye or sugars possibly causing overheating in your batch would, etc. would be issues that may cause, depending on the fruit juice.

 

[snappyllama]

Howdy and welcome to the forum!

For M&P, I'd stay away from introducing fruit juices or undried zest. I think you'll have it end up rotting since all the soaponification in M&P is already done. Think of it like putting a a slice of mango on top of a bar of Dove for a week. If you spray the mango down with enough preservatives, it *might* not rot, but you wouldn't want to rub it on your body! You can use dried zest and powders in M&P though.

For CP soap, you can absolutely add all sorts of things. I'd start off with a simple recipe (just oils + lye) as a beginner until the process is down before venturing off into all the additives and variations. Try a few recipes to find what you like and get the process down. Then tweak and play!

Soaping 101 is an excellent teacher for CP soap beginners. Here's a couple of videos she did on using fresh fruit in CP. Spoiler: the lemon one didn't turn out! Watch it and find out why.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsKX1oU5DyY[/ame]

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFOdi989-aU[/ame]